Nail polish claims to detect date-rape drugs

'Undercover Colors' changes color when it comes into contact with date-rape drugs like Rohypnol, Xanax, and GHB.

Four students in the Materials Science and Engineering department at North Carolina State University teamed up to invent a nail polish that changes color when it comes in contact with the drugs.

FAIRWAY, KS (KCTV) -

The next time a woman gets a manicure it could do more than just make a fashion statement. It could also prevent date rape.

Four students in the materials science and engineering department at North Carolina State University teamed up to invent a nail polish that changes color when it comes in contact with the drugs.

"Undercover Colors" changes color when it comes into contact with date-rape drugs like Rohypnol, Xanax, and GHB. The hope is women stir their drinks with their finger, and if their nail polish changes color, it signals a problem.

The drugs often go undetected because they are often odorless and colorless.

Rohypnol used to be in white tablet form, but recently, it has been formulated as to be green with a blue core.

The manufacturer made the change to try and identify tampered drinks at clubs. But generic versions of Rohypnol may not contain the blue dye.

The drugs can cause partial amnesia and can be used to facilitate sexual assaults.

The students are marketing their new company as "the first fashion company empowering women to prevent sexual assault."

The group wrote a statement explaining their idea on their Facebook page.

"We hope to make potential perpetrators afraid to spike a woman's drink because there's now a risk that they can get caught. In effect, we want to shift the fear from the victims to the perpetrators," they said.

The polish isn't on the market yet, but already, their Facebook page is flooded with people who can't wait to try it out.

Joyce White is one of them.

"It's too bad we live in a society where young women have to arm themselves against predators, but whatever works to keep them safe. I think its a great idea," she said.

Some aren't so sure nail polish is the answer to prevent rape.

AnnRene Braun makes sure she knows and trust who she's going out with.

"I can't see a need for it in my life I've never run into that sort of experience and I've never heard that sort of story from friends either," Braun said.

The nail polish caught the eye of an investor who paid out $100,000 at the K50 Startup Showcase for the product demo of Undercover Colors.

They also won $11,250 from a contest held by North Carolina State's Entrepreneurship Initiative.

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